Computer monitor support

ABSTRACT

A computer monitor support includes a first support immovably connected to a lower side of a desktop, and a second support pivotally connected to the first support via an upper and a lower link to movably located in front of the first support for supporting a computer monitor thereon. The first and the second support, and the upper and the lower link together form a four-bar linkage. A lifting mechanism is connected to the four-bar linkage to lift or lower the second support and to incline the second support downward or upward, respectively, at the same time, so that any user may set the computer monitor on the second support to a vertical position and an angle of elevation most suitable for the user to look at a display on the monitor comfortably and clearly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a computer monitor support thatenables adjustment of vertical position and angle of elevation of acomputer monitor at the same time, so that a user may look at themonitor at a most comfortable angle of view.

[0002] With the highly developed electronic and informationtechnologies, computers have become a prerequisite tool for most peoplein working, doing leisure activities, playing games, reading, andhandling many general affairs. Computers and related apparatuses couldbe found in almost every family, office, and business place.

[0003] To enable users having different heights to look at the displayon the computer monitor at an angle of view most suitable for them, thecomputer monitor usually has a base enabling adjustment of the monitorto different angles of elevation. However, a vertical position of themonitor relative to a desktop on which the monitor is positioned is alsovery important for users to look at the display comfortably.

[0004] For a high user or a user who stands before the monitor to lookat a display on the monitor in an attempt to soften the stiffened legsand back muscles due to sitting before the computer over a prolongedtime, the monitor might not be at a suitable height and angle ofelevation for the user to clearly read information shown on the display.In a worse condition, the user might even misread the information toresult in serious problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is therefore a primary object of the present invention toprovide a computer monitor support that enables adjustment of verticalposition and angle of elevation of the monitor at the same time to meetthe needs of different users.

[0006] The computer monitor support of the present invention mainlyincludes a first support immovably connected to a lower side of adesktop, and a second support pivotally connected to the first supportvia an upper and a lower link to movably located in front of the firstsupport for supporting a computer monitor thereon. The first and thesecond support, and the upper and the lower link together form afour-bar linkage. A lifting mechanism is pivotally connected at a rearlocating block to a pivot shaft connecting the first support to thelower link, and at an outer end of an extension tube thereof to a pivotshaft connecting the second support to the upper link, so that theextension tube lifts or lowers the second support when it is driven toextend forward or to retreat.

[0007] In the computer monitor support of the present invention, adistance between two connection holes at two ends of the lower link isslightly larger than a distance between two connection holes at two endsof the upper link, and a distance between two connection holes on thesecond support is slightly larger than a distance between two connectionholes on the first support, allowing the extension tube to incline thesecond support downward or upward while lifting or lowering,respectively, the second support.

[0008] Therefore, any user may set the computer monitor on the secondsupport to a vertical position and an angle of elevation most suitablefor the user to look at the display on the monitor comfortably andclearly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The structure and the technical means adopted by the presentinvention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understoodby referring to the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

[0010]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a computer monitorsupport according to the present invention;

[0011]FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of the computer monitorsupport according to the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 3 is an enlarged, sectioned side view of a lifting mechanismforming a part of the computer monitor support of the present invention;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a vertical section of the computer monitor support ofthe present invention in a lifted state; and

[0014]FIG. 5 is another vertical section of the computer monitor supportof the present invention in a lowered state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 that are exploded and assembledperspective views, respectively, of a computer monitor support of thepresent invention. As shown, the computer monitor support mainlyincludes a first support 10 having a first top plate 11 and a firstupright bracket 12 fixedly connected to a lower surface of the first topplate 11; a second support 20 having a second top plate 21 and a secondupright bracket 22 fixedly connected to a lower surface of the secondtop plate 21; a first link 30; a second link 40; and a lifting mechanism50. All of the first and the second upright brackets 12, 22 and thefirst and the second links 30, 40 have a U-shaped cross section andinclude two sidewalls and a sideward opening.

[0016] The first support 10 is immovably connected at the first topplate 11 to a lower side of a desktop 60 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) with thesideward opening of the first upright bracket 12 facing forward asviewed from a user sitting before the desktop 60. The first uprightbracket 12 is provided at the two sidewalls with a first pair of upperconnection holes 15 and a first pair of lower connection holes 16.

[0017] The second support 20 is pivotally connected to the first support10 via the links 30, 40 to locate in front of the first support 10, andhas a resting plate 27 connected to a top of the second top plate 21 fora computer monitor 61 to seat thereon (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The secondupright bracket 22 is provided at the two sidewalls with a second pairof upper connection holes 25 and a second pair of lower connection holes26. And, the sideward opening of the second upright bracket 22 isoriented to face toward the sideward opening of the first uprightbracket 12.

[0018] The first link 30 is vertically located above the second link 40,so that their sideward openings face toward each other. The first link30 is provided on its two sidewalls near a rear and a front end with afirst pair of rear connection holes 31 and a first pair of frontconnection holes 32, respectively, so that the first link 30 ispivotally connected at two ends to the first and the second uprightbracket 11, 21 by extending a first upper pivot shaft 13 and a secondupper pivot shaft 23 through the first pair of upper connection holes 15on the first upright bracket 12 and the first pair of rear connectionholes 31 on the first link 30, and the second pair of upper connectionholes 25 on the second upright bracket 22 and the first pair of frontconnection holes 32 on the first link 30, respectively. Similarly, thesecond link 40 is provided on its two sidewalls near a rear and a frontend with a second rear connection holes 41 and a second pair of frontconnection holes 42, respectively, so that the second link 40 ispivotally connected at two ends to the first and the second uprightbracket 11, 21 by extending a first lower pivot shaft 14 and a secondlower pivot shaft 24 through the first pair of lower connection holes 16on the first upright bracket 12 and the second pair of rear connectionholes 41 on the second link 40, and the second pair of lower connectionholes 26 on the second upright bracket 22 and the second pair of frontconnection holes 42 on the second link 40, respectively. Therefore, thefirst and the second link 30, 40 and the first and the second uprightbracket 12, 22 together form a four-bar linkage.

[0019] The lifting mechanism 50 is known in the art. FIG. 3 is anenlarged, sectioned side view of the lifting mechanism 50, showing thesame includes a motor 53, a lead screw 54 driven by the motor 53 torotate, an extension tube 52 screwed at an inner end to the lead screw54, and a locating block 51 provided at a position corresponding to arear end of the lead screw 54. When the motor 53 drives the lead screw54 to rotate, the extension tube 52 is caused to extend forward or toretreat, depending on a direction in which the lead screw 54 rotates.

[0020] The lifting mechanism 50 is located between the first and thesecond link 30, 40 with the locating block 51 facing toward the firstsupport 10 and the extension tube 52 pointing toward the second support20. The first lower pivot shaft 14 that pivotally connects the firstupright bracket 12 to the second link 40 also extends through thelocating block 51, and the second upper pivot shaft 23 that pivotallyconnects the second upright bracket 22 to the first link 30 also extendsthrough an outer end of the extension tube 52. Two first C-clamps 55 maybe clamped on the first lower pivot shaft 14 to confine the locatingblock 51 of the lifting mechanism 50 to the shaft 14 between the twofirst C-clamps 55. Similarly, two second C-clamps 56 may be clamped onthe second upper pivot shaft 23 to confine the outer end of theextension tube 52 of the lifting mechanism 50 to the shaft 23 betweenthe two second C-clamps 56.

[0021] Please refer to FIG. 4. The first support 10 is immovably fixedto the lower side of the desktop 60, and the second support 20 issupported by the first and the second link 30, 40 and the liftingmechanism 50 to movably locate in front of the first support 10. Whenthe lifting mechanism 50 is actuated and the extension tube 52 is drivento extend forward, the second support 20 connected at the second uprightbracket 22 to the lifting mechanism 50 via the second upper pivot shaft23 is lifted by the extended extension tube 52 to move the monitor 61 toa higher position relative to the desktop 60. On the contrary, when thelifting mechanism 50 is actuated and the extension tube 52 is driven toretreat, the second support 20 is lowered by the retreated extensiontube 52 to descend the monitor 61, as shown in FIG. 5. In brief, thesecond support 20 and the monitor 61 seated thereon are lifted orlowered by extending or retreating, respectively, the extension tube 52of the lifting mechanism 50.

[0022] The lifting mechanism 50 is controlled to operate via a liftingpush button 57 and a lowering push button 58, depressing of lifting andlowering push buttons 57 and 58 enables the extension tube 52 to liftand lower, respectively, the second support 20. Thus, the computermonitor support of the present invention can be very easily operated.Moreover, the lifting and the lowering push button 57, 58 enablestepless fine adjustment in lifting and lowering the second support 20.

[0023] It is to be noted that the first link 30 has an inner width atthe sideward opening slightly larger than an outer width at the sidewardopening of the second link 40, so that the second link 40 may upwardextend its two sidewalls into the sideward opening of the first link 30without frictionally contacting with the two sidewalls of the first link30.

[0024] It is also to be noted that a distance between the rear and thefront connection holes 41, 42 on the second link 40 is slightly largerthan that between the rear and the front connection holes 31, 32 on thefirst link 30, and a distance between the second pair of upperconnection holes 25 and the second pair of lower connection holes 26 onthe second upright bracket 22 is slightly larger than that between thefirst pair of upper connection holes 15 and the first pair of lowerconnection holes 16 on the first upright bracket 12, such that the firstupper pivot shaft 13, the first lower pivot shaft 14, the second upperpivot shaft 23, and the second lower pivot shaft 24 form four vertexesof a quadrilateral having two groups of unequal opposite sides, as canbe seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0025] With the above arrangements, when the extension tube 52 of thelifting mechanism 50 is extended forward, it not only lifts the secondsupport 20 but also causes the second support 20 to slightly inclinedownward toward the first support 10 at the same time, as shown in FIG.4, so that a short user may comfortably look at a display on the monitor61 at an upward angle of view. For a high user or a user standing beforethe monitor 61, the lifting mechanism 50 may be actuated to retreat theextension tube 52 and thereby lowers the second support 20 and causesthe same to slightly incline away from the first support 10 at the sametime, as shown in FIG. 5, so that the display of the monitor 61 isslightly turned upward to face the user's eyes looking downward.

[0026] The purpose of providing U-shaped upright brackets 12, 22 andfirst and second links 30, 40 is to facilitate forming of laterallysymmetrical connection hole pairs 15, 16, 25, 26, 31, 32, 41 and 42 onthe two sidewalls of these brackets and links for the pivot shafts 13,14, 23 and 24 to extend therethrough.

[0027] The computer monitor support of the present invention enablesstepless adjustment of the vertical position and the angle of elevationof the computer monitor 61 on the second support 20 relative to thefirst support 10 that is immovably fixed to the lower side of thedesktop 60, so that any user could look at the display on the monitor 61at an angle of view most suitable for the user. The present invention istherefore ideal and practical for use.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer monitor support, comprising: a firstsupport including a first top plate immovably connected to a lower sideof a desktop, and a first upright bracket fixedly connected to a bottomof said first top plate; said first upright bracket having a U-shapedcross section to include two sidewalls and a sideward opening that isoriented forward, and being provided on said two sidewalls with a firstpair of upper connection holes and a first pair of lower connectionholes; a second support being located in front of said first support,and including a second top plate on which a computer monitor is seated,and a second upright bracket fixedly connected to a bottom of saidsecond top plate; said second upright bracket having a U-shaped crosssection to include two sidewalls and a sideward opening that is orientedtoward said first support, and being provided on said two sidewalls witha second pair of upper connection holes and a second pair of lowerconnection holes; a first link having a U-shaped cross section toinclude two sidewalls and a sideward opening that is oriented downward;said first link being provided on said two sidewalls near two endsthereof with a first pair of rear connection holes and a first pair offront connection holes; a second link being located below said firstlink, and having a U-shaped cross section to include two sidewalls and asideward opening that is oriented upward; said second link beingprovided on said two sidewalls near two ends thereof with a second pairof rear connection holes and a second pair of front connection holes;and a lifting mechanism including an extension tube being driven by amotor and a lead screw of said lifting mechanism to extend forward orretreat; said first link being pivotally connected at a rear end to saidfirst upright bracket by extending a first upper pivot shaft throughsaid first pair of upper connection holes on said first upright bracketand said first pair of rear connection holes on said first link, and ata front end to said second upright bracket by extending a second upperpivot shaft through said second pair of upper connection holes on saidsecond upright bracket and said first pair of front connection holes onsaid first link; said second link being pivotally connected at a rearend to said first upright bracket by extending a first lower pivot shaftthrough said first pair of lower connection holes on said first uprightbracket and said second pair of rear connection holes on said secondlink, and at a front end to said second upright bracket by extending asecond lower pivot shaft through said second pair of lower connectionholes on said second upright bracket and said second pair of frontconnection holes on said second link; and said first lower pivot shaftconnecting said first upright bracket to said rear end of said secondlink also extending through a rear locating block of said liftingmechanism, and said second upper pivot shaft connecting said secondupright bracket to said front end of said first link also extendingthrough an outer end of said extension tube.
 2. The computer monitorsupport as claimed in claim 1, wherein a distance between said secondpair of rear connection holes and said second pair of front connectionholes on said second link is slightly larger than a distance betweensaid first pair of rear connection holes and said first pair of frontconnection holes on said first link.
 3. The computer monitor support asclaimed in claim 1, wherein a distance between said second pair of upperconnection holes and said second pair of lower connection holes on saidsecond upright bracket is slightly larger than a distance between saidfirst pair of upper connection holes and said first pair of lowerconnection holes on said first upright bracket.